Fine Lines and True Signs
by Kimasu
Summary: Chapter 5: Ranma gives Akane a compliment...Sort of. Set after the bust battle arc.
1. 01 Sleep

**DISCLAIMER: **Nope. Ranma and Akane still don't belong to me.

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_**CHAPTER ONE/THEME 01  
No Tent, No Shirt, No Sleep **_

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"Ranma. That's my side of the tent."

"How the hell do you figure that?"

"Look where my sleeping bag is and where yours is, stupid."

"Akane, you and your macho-chick body already have the majority of this stupid tent so-"

A frying pan collided with his skull. "And what is that supposed to mean? !"

"Just like what it sounds like!"

"Quit calling me fat or you're sleeping outside the tent!"

"Outside of my own tent? !"

"Yes! Because it's your father who took my tent out of my bag!"

"I can't take much more of this…." he muttered under his breath.

"Don't flatter yourself in thinking that I can," Akane shot back. "I'm just as-Hey! Ranma!"

Ranma put the end of his sleeping bag right over hers and stuck out his tongue. Even as her shoe was launched at his head, Ranma kept his back on her, determined not to let up. What a stupid idea. A senseless idiotic idea, he added as Akane's flung his sleeping bag over his head. How he thought that he could get any serious training done with Akane around was a mystery. No man could seriously train with a girl around. And sleeping? Forget it.

Still on edge about the whole mess with Saffron, Ranma knew he hadn't put up much of a fight when Pop and Mr. Tendo told him to take Akane along on the trip to a junior competition. But damnit….How could he even think about getting sleep to be up early to train when Akane was sleeping an arm's length away from him….

Not that he was turned on by her or anything.

Or that he wanted to do anything like _that_ with her.

Or that he thought she was at all sexy in his shirt. Reaching just past her thighs and the top slit exposing a tiny flash of her chest….Nope. There was absolutely nothing appealing about it. Nothing. Not one thing…

Thinking the words, Ranma started to turn and look over his shoulder as Akane brushed her hair. Well, maybe the tomboy really didn't look half bad in his clothes after all….

When their eyes met her cheeks rose in a flush and the hairbrush was tossed at him. He caught it with a frown.

"I'm not even doing anything."

"You're staring at me!"

"How is just looking at you perverted? !" he demanded.

Ranma's cheeks raised in a deeper flush when she adjusted his shirt more decently over her chest. Along with Akane's sleeping bag, a decent amount of her wardrobe had mysteriously vanished from her bag. Their dads were really pulling stuff out of their ass to play matchmaker. It probably would have pissed him off more, if it wasn't for the fact that the lame attempts did bring Akane into his tent. Since Jusenkyo, he was a little more guarded of her and so to have her within literal arms length wasn't particularly a bad thing. And he didn't even have to fight the embarrassment to ask her.

"They made off with my shampoo and my soap my toothpaste and-you're kidding me….!"

"What?"

"I took a towel with me, but now there's only this." Akane held up a washcloth.

Ranma shrugged and pillowed his arms behind his head. "So. Just use mine. I don't need to wash."

"Yes, you do. You stink after training. This whole tent smells like sweat, Ranma."

"You know you love the smell."

"I hate it," she insisted, softly.

"Then why are you wearing my shirt?" he challenged, smirking. The smug expression was abruptly caught off when fabric hit his face.

"Keep your stupid shirt. I don't want it anyways….!"

"D-Don't be stupid! You'll freeze if you don't wearing something!"

Akane kept her back on him, not speaking. Ranma cursed under his breath and dropped his shirt between them. When she didn't make a move to take it back his face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Damnit, Akane," he mumbled to himself as he stared at her naked shoulder. "…Now I _really_ won't be able to get any sleep…"**  
**

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_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

I thought it would be kind of fun to take up this writing challenge from one of those LJ writing community things. It's 50_Scenes so they'll just be little snippets having to do with Ranma and Akane. Some canon, others I'm planning to do AU. So this is my first one: _Theme 01: Sleep. _As with most of the scenes I'm going to put in here, there is a story that goes with it that has been floating around in my head. Since it would work as an opening scene, I don't think I have to explain much for this one. =D

Oh, and the title _Fine Lines and True Signs_...Fine Lines refers to the saying about a fine line between love and hate. And True Signs is more to the point ;3

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	2. 34 Sick

**DISCLAIMER: **Nope. Ranma and Akane still don't, ain't never gonna belong to me.

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_**CHAPTER TWO/THEME 36  
LEAN ON ME  
**_

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Idling in a stupid manner outside the nurse's office, Ranma Saotome looked more like a child than a martial artist. Whenever the door would open he would ease toward it, but then quickly shy away once seeing that Akane wasn't in the main waiting room. Damnit. What a senseless girl. What the hell happened back there, anyway? She had complained about a headache to him before the game started but was it really something to pass out over? And if she really was feeling so ill, why the hell didn't she just speak up?

"Ah, Ranma-kun. What are you doing here?" Nabiki grinned and clasped her hands behind her back as she approached him. "Where's Akane?"

"She's uh…in the nurse's office…"

"Doesn't she usually put you in there? Maybe my sister's violent nature is starting to rub off on you. But, really. It's not right to hit a girl-"

"I-I didn't put her in there! I didn't touch her!"

"That's not what I heard." Nabiki winked. "Kuno-Baby told me about your little basketball match. Sounded sexy."

"There wasn't anything sexy about it!"

"So why aren't you in there?"

Ranma blushed and stammered, "W-Why would I be?"

"Why would you be standing out here?"

_Damnit._

"…A-Anyway, she's in one of the beds and only relatives are allowed to go in or something so-"

"That's not a problem!" She snatched his arm and pulled him inside. "Excuse me! This is Akane Tendo's fiancé! He'd like to see her, please!"

"H-Hey! Wait a minute, I-!"

"Ah. You are? No wonder you looked so sad when I told you no. You should have just said so!" The nurse smiled and started down the hall. "This way please."

Ranma looked over his shoulder but Nabiki was already gone. Maybe her meddling wasn't so bad this time around. And it didn't even cost him a….Never mind. Ranma glanced down on the arm she had pulled on to see a post-it note with what he owed her.

Once Ranma was actually in the room, he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't even know why he was there or why he wanted to be there. In all honesty, seeing Akane lying motionless in the cold hospital bed was too striking in resemblance to her lifeless body in Jusenkyo. Uneasy and suddenly ill, Ranma stared at the floor as he sat in the chair at her bedside.

On the whiteboard that had been set on the folding wall, it read dehydration.

"Geez," he muttered. "Why didn't you just stop to get something to drink?"

"Because I wouldn't have beaten you."

Ranma's face turned bright red as Akane opened her eyes and gazed at him through the semi-darkness. He awkwardly shifted under her gaze and smile. Damnit, he didn't know what to do or say when things like this happened. He was bound to say something that would upset her. He knew it. He was artless when it came to pissing her off. And so, determined not to say a thing, he rather stupidly handed her the glass of water instead.

"How long have I been…?"

"School's over."

Akane sat up and blinked in a daze. "My bag?"

He lifted it up to show her. "I'll carry you, too…" he began to say.

"Don't be silly." She swung her feet over the bed and stood up. "I just needed some water. I'm not ill or anything."

When she swayed on her feet Ranma extended his arm. Not intending to offer his arm, he was surprised when she accepted it and even clung to his body. It was actually kind of...cute.

Waving her hand over her face she looked up to him, saying, "Why is it so hot in here?"

"It's not. You're probably warm from bein' in all the blankets…" He shyly moved his body closer to hers so she could brace herself against him. When Akane willingly accepted the support, Ranma smiled to himself.

"Come on, tomboy," he said softly. "Let's go home."

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_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

What the Zork? Seven months later...that's just shameless, reappearing like this. I should be ashamed of myself ;A;

Well, I hope the shy and caring Ranma brought you a smile anyways! I resisted the urge to make him say something stupid to mess it all up. Though it was tempting lol. This was theme 34: Sick.

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	3. 03 Pain

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothin'._  
_

_**NOTE:** Takes place at the end of the Moxibustion arc._

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_**CHAPTER THREE/ THEME 03**_  
_**CUTS AND BAND-AIDS**_

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What a pain, Akane mused as she pulled apart another band-aid. She may not have gotten a fence-print face or a broken leg, but the wind burn and tiny incisions that came from Ranma's attack felt terrible. Whoever went up against Ranma when he had an attack like that had to be justifiably insane. The most annoying part was that, although she felt the pain from the cuts Akane couldn't find the stupid things because they were so small.

Thirty-five band-aids, a hot bath and many obscenities later and she was still finding random trails of blood.

"How annoying…" she sighed, pulling out another band-aid. "I'll be up all night trying to find these stupid cuts…"

A crash echoed into her room from the garden below followed by Ranma's laugh. Akane pressed her eyebrows together as the sound of breaking concrete blended together with his voice.

Oh honestly…It was past one in the morning already! It was fine to be happy to have your strength back, but did he have to act so insensitive to everyone else in the neighborhood? The neighbors complained enough as it was about their freeloaders fighting each other on the roof every morning…

After tossing her desk chair out the window and being answered by the sound of splashing water and a female's harsh cursing, Akane went back to trying to find the cuts. But no matter how much she mummified herself, there was still blood on her fingertips.

"Stupid cuts!" she cursed in her frustration. "Stupid attacks! Stupid Ranmaaaa!"

"That's my line to you!" The door flung open as Ranma towered over her with a towel slung over his shoulder and steam still rising from his jump in the bath. "What the hell was with that chair just now?! Making me fall into the water like that when I'm trying to-!"

The first aid kit smacked into his face.

"Normal people are trying to sleep. Close the door and be quiet."

"Geez…Why is it my problem if a few people can't deal with small noises…"

"Tearing down our garden wall isn't a small noise, Ranma!"

"I didn't tear it down! I barely touched it…." Akane watched his smile grow into a full blown egotistical smirk. "I can't help that my strength is so great that it crumbled from my sheer presence."

He put his hands on his hips and grinned like the smug idiot she, against every sense of reason, admired. Not that she'd ever let him know that. Ranma could barely fit his stupid fathead through the door as it was….

As if hearing her thoughts, Ranma pulled a face. Akane, not caring what he didn't like about her now, shot him one right back before reaching for another band-aid. Just as she was about to open it, Ranma swiped it from her.

"You're not cute when you have bags under your eyes, you know." He held up a mirror to her face. "You should go to bed, stupid. You're never going to get a husband looking like this."

The mirror bopped him on the head. "And what concern is that of yours?!"

"The bandages don't help your features, either."

"It's not my choice to use them!" she retorted angrily. "If my face is such a problem to look at then go away!"

A moment passed in silence before Ranma plopped down in front of her on the floor and started absently drying his hair with his towel. "You were hurt?" he asked softly.

Not sure why this question bothered her, Akane turned her eyes on the first aid box as she said, "You know how strong your attack is so stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like it's my fault."

"Well, it's not my fault! I didn't tell you to jump in there like an-!"

"Stop yelling. People are trying to sleep."

Ranma testily flicked his pointer finger against the first aid kit for a few seconds. His fingers briefly touched the box of band-aids but, when his cool blue eye meet her curious gaze, he quickly abandoned his hold on the little box with a blush.

"But it was pretty stupid…doing that…."

Leave it to Ranma to put on the charm. Not that she wanted or expected a nice word from him. She'd rather avoid the topic altogether since it was embarrassing enough what ridiculously sappy conclusions their classmates had already drawn from the whole thing. But if he was going to say anything about what she did, why couldn't he have chosen something nice?

Ranma, you idiot, she thought. See if I ever put myself in danger to help you and your fathead again….

"…Such an ingrate," she muttered, unable to hold it down.

His eyebrows jerked together. "I never said I was ungrateful."

"You never said that you were grateful either," she pointed out absently.

"What do you want?! For me to bow down before you in thanks?!"

"Of course not!"

"Then what the hell is your problem?!"

"Nothing, alright?! It's nothing!"

"What sort of person chooses to step into an attack anyways?" he taunted, harshly. "Not even Mousse would do something as stupid as that, Akane. Sometimes I can't believe how senseless you are. If it wasn't for me always watchin' out for ya, you'd be killed by how stupid you act. If anything, you should be the one thanking me for saving you."

Despite every ounce of resolve, every intention of not letting Ranma's words get to her, Akane felt her eyes begin to burn, fists curling into tight little balls. Ranma began to raise his fists.

"So you're going to fight about it?"

"Sorry…"

Ranma deadpanned. "E-Eh?"

"Sorry," she repeated, bowing her head. "Sorry for being-STUPID ENOUGH TO CARE ABOUT YOU, YOU STUPID, WOTHLESS, INSENSITVE, SELFISH, UNGRATEFUL, PIGHEAD JERK!"

With the final insult, Akane smashed the first aid box into his skull.

She quickly sprang to her feet to escape him and hide her angry tears, but Ranma caught her wrist and brusquely set her back at his side. Annoyed and humiliated, Akane feverishly tried snapping her wrist out of his before she saw him crying over someone as stupid and undeserving of her feelings as him.

But no matter how agitatedly she wrestled him, Ranma didn't let up. Instead, despite her struggling, Ranma calmly picked up her discarded band-aid and took it from the wrapper. Akane's cheek reddened as Ranma leaned close to her and applied the band-aid, very gently, against her neck. As he smoothed it down with a fumbling, calloused finger his deep blue eyes raised to met her puffy red eyes.

"….Damnit, Akane. Why are you always taking everything I say the wrong way?"

"Is there any other way to take it?" she challenged softly, quickly drying off her tears.

"Of course there is, stupid."

"How?"

"The right way. If you think for a second that I'm not grateful, than you're stupider than I thought….Am I supposed to thank you for nearly getting yourself killed?! It's that what you want?!"

"I…I never said I wanted anything from you!"

"Then quit snapping my head off already! And hold still! I can't put a band-aid on ya when you're making nasty faces at me!"

"I'm not snapping and I'm not asking anything from you! I just said to stop with-…" She deflated with a fatigued sigh. "Never mind. Go outside and break more walls down for all I care, Ranma. I'll let the police take care of you….I'm tired."

"I'd rather deal with them than a stubborn headed, violent girl who throws chairs at me. Give me that arm."

"Take it."

"Geez, how many cuts did you get…"

"More than I want to think about. I've been trying to get them all but they're too small to-"

She flinched.

"What? What's wrong?"

She recoiled again. "You're…pressing down on a cut…."

"Sorry. Didn't see it." As he tenderly laid another band-aid against her wrist he muttered, "Anyways, you better not do anything like that again."

"What makes you think I'd want to?" she asked, frowning.

"I'm serious. The next time, I won't go after you." His grip tightened around her wrist as he added, "I've got enough problems without having to deal with saving an uncute girl because she's so senseless."

Akane didn't want anything in return from the stupid fathead. In the end she didn't even care if he appreciated what she did for him because she was happy enough that the idiot wasn't mopping around the house anymore. But to disregard her care for him so completely, then to give her this cruel ultimatum because she was "senseless" was so completely offensive that Akane was in a state of utter shock and repulsion.

Of all the stupid, insensitive, pigheaded things he had ever said to her, this topped it.

Akane immediately opened her mouth to snap back at him and she shifted forward to launch a blunt object at his stupid fathead but….When he saw how red Ranma's face became, how fast his anxious blue eyes were darting up to her face and how he was now nervously squeezing and un-squeezing her wrist with a shaking hand, she closed her mouth. Eyes curiously studying this contrasting sight, Akane remained in a state of silent bewilderment.

Was Ranma really an insensitive idiot who was telling her that he refused to care for her because it was a waste of his time?

Or was he just word-retarded and concerned that she would get hurt again?

Unsure, she tested the waters a bit by saying, "If that's how it is, then I guess I don't have a choice…"

"N-Not that I care either way," he added in a rush, as if he had let out something he hadn't intended to show her.

"Why would you," she agreed, looking off to the side. "I'm just an uncute tomboy…."

"Right."

"…You weren't supposed to agree."

"But it is true, you know." He kept his eyes on the band-aid he was applying, a slight smile on his face. "I'm probably the only person in the world who'll take the time to keep you safe if you did something stupid like that again."

"I'd never do something like that for anyone else, though." When Ranma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Akane smiled. "Because you're the only one who I'd need to help out of a such a stupid situation."

As Akane smiled and stuck her tongue out at him, Ranma muttered "uncute" and shook his head.

Akane wasn't really sure what she saw in Ranma's eyes just then as he offered his hand to help her up, but she liked it very much.

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_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

Okay so, wow. It's really been awhile since I've posted anything...

Well, my personal goal is to make another chapter before April 2016...? Typing that just sounds sad ;A;


	4. 34 Darkness

**DISCLAIMER: **I ain't never gonna own nothin'._  
_

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_CHAPTER FOUR/ THEME 34_  
_**THE RELATIONSHIP COWARDS  
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Alright, so maybe he was jealous. There, he said it. But what was admitting it going to do for him now? That stupid Akane wouldn't listen to a damn thing he said. Nabiki and Kasumi insisted that he could still say something to prevent her from going with Ryoga. But the kind of somethings that they were alluding to would never be able to make it past his lips. Even if he wanted to say them.

"Don't be so prude, Ranma. How many times have you faked your way out of things before?" Nabiki told him. "You're always saying meaningless stuff to Shampoo and them."

"Akane ain't gonna buy that sort of stuff. Even if I meant it."

"Ryoga-kun and Akane are good friends, so I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Kasumi said, smiling.

"Until they find themselves alone on a bench together. His hand suddenly slips in hers. She leans on his shoulder, his other hand touches her face and-"

Nabiki laughed as Ranma's chopsticks broke in half.

"What are you guys talking about?" Akane asked as she walked into the family room.

"What do you care?"

"Sheesh, no need to snap at me." Akane frowned, sitting beside Ranma at the table and eyeing him as he attempted to eat with the broken utensils. "What's bothering you?"

"You going to that festival with Ryoga."

The Tendo sisters all looked shocked or impressed that he had come right out and said it. But the sensation didn't even have time to set in before Ranma continued with, "Everyone else will have some cute chick on their arm, and poor Ryoga will be stuck with a sexless tomboy like you. I feel sorry for him."

Despite the vein popping from her forehead, Akane merely said, "Heh. Unlike you, Ryoga-kun isn't shallow. He likes me just the way I am."

"Pu-lease. He doesn't know you to like you. I can't believe how stupid you are, accepting the first guy who asks you out to the festival."

"At least he has the guts to ask a girl out."

"Akane 1, Ranma 0," Nabiki whispered to Kasumi as Ranma all but growled at the youngest sister.

"I don't hafta ask anyone out, because girls beg to go out with me!"

"Just having to say that out loud shows how shallow you really are!"

"At least I'm not going out with someone who already has a girlfriend!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"This is getting pretty good," Nabiki mused as Kasumi said, "Does anyone want seconds?"

Despite being in the middle of a heated argument, Ranma slid his bowl over for another helping as he said, "Go with that moron for all I care! Just don't come crying to me when he tries to crush you in a hug again!"

"I don't need your permission! I'll go with who I want! Unlike you who can't make up his mind and will just go with whoever wants to go with him! Honestly, Ranma! You're such a coward!"

"A what?!"

"You heard me! You're a relationship coward!"

Nabiki munched on a cookie in the silence that followed. Boy, her sister really pinned him into a corner this time…

Snatching up his bowl of rice and broken chopsticks, Ranma shot one last look at Akane before retreating from the room. Akane lowered her own bowl with a sigh.

"Nice one, Sis. Ranma actually looked like he was thinking about that one."

"Maybe Ranma-kun is really just shy after all," Kasumi suggested as she poured out tea. "What if you three went as a group?"

"That's lame, Kasumi. How will they be able to make out with a third wheel hanging around?"

"Even if they weren't already seeing other people, they're really too young for that…" the older sister insisted, crossly.

"He always makes such a big deal about the stupidest things," Akane interrupted. "I want to go, Ryoga-kun wants to go, and that's all there is to it."

"Oh, sure. And the fact that it makes Ranma madly jealous has nothing to do with it. You two are always doing these things to each other," Nabiki said.

"It's really not right to be playing with people's emotions," Kasumi told Akane. "Even if you and Ranma-kun aren't together, Akari-chan and Ryoga-kun are."

"…I just want to go to the festival," Akane insisted.

"Ranma-kun is still your friend. I'm sure his feelings were hurt."

"Whose side are you guys on?" Akane mumbled, getting up and leaving.

"Kasumi 1, Akane 0." Nabiki gave a thumbs up to Kasumi.

Kasumi just smiled calmly. "More tea?"

Akane peeked in the guest bedroom. She didn't exactly expect him to be in the darkened room so she started a bit when he got up from the small table in the corner.

"What? Did you forget to call me some other name?" he mumbled as he slammed his bowl down.

"I wasn't the only one saying stupid stuff," Akane practically whispered as she slid the door shut. "You're just as bad as me when it comes to this stuff."

"At least you admit you're bad," Ranma replied, collapsing on his futon. "Anyways, I already said I don't care what you do so if you have anything to say about that, I don't wanna hear it."

"I didn't mean to call you a coward back there..."

"I said I don't care."

"I guess we're both sort of cowards when it comes to this...sort of thing..."

The last thing Ranma wanted to do was have a conversation about this and so he closed his eyes and put his arms behind his neck with a deep frown, hoping that would put an end to the thing. There was always stupid arguments like this between them but this one just dug a little too deep for his liking.

So Akane thought he was a coward? He could ask her out anytime he wanted. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't a relationship coward. He just...didn't _want_ to ask her out, that was all. But that didn't mean that she should go off clinging to the first guy that did offer her a date...!

"You still have a bruise from your fight this morning..."

Instead of leaving him, Ranma was aware of Akane coming to sit near him. She made a noise in the back of her throat as her fingers brushed the mark on his face. "Does it hurt?"

He shrugged.

"Does it ever hurt?"

Ranma wondered if Akane actually expected a coherent reply as she continued touching his face like that. Did she even understand what she did to him? Even someone as dense as Akane would be able to feel the deep blush rising against her fingertips, right? But despite the growing anxiety that always made him act like a damn fool around her, he actually felt...comfortable being with Akane like this.

"Sometimes it seems like you're never in pain," Akane mused as her fingers pushed away his bangs.

"There's just no use cryin' about it. Get over it and get stronger, that's all there is to it."

"Spoken like a true masochist," Akane teased. "Just do that healing before your fight with Kuno tomorrow. I heard that he has some sort of flamethrower sword from Mousse. There's a strange alliance for you..."

When her fingers started to draw back, Ranma opened his eyes and reached out to grab her wrist.

"If you really wanted to go to that stupid festival, you should have just said so. I'll take you."

"But I already told Ryoga-kun I would go with him," she replied softly.

"So? Tell him you're going with someone better-"

"Ranma." She frowned, trying to pull her hand free. But he held it more firmly, even pulling her forward.

"With that guy's sense of direction, you won't make it to that festival until it's a year past over. If you really want to go, then you should just have me take ya."

Akane stared at their joined fingers with a slightly protruding bottom lip before raising her dark brown eyes to his face. It always felt like a Chinese finger trap with this stubborn girl. Here he was, being plainly honest with her and she was hesitating, even looking to him with concern. What was her problem?!

All at once he wanted to demand that she went with him, ban her from going on a date with anyone ever again. But he knew that he couldn't do it. If Akane didn't want to be with him from her own will then...He didn't have the heart to force her. That didn't mean it didn't hurt though. It hurt like hell when she didn't give a damn about him. It felt like a large slap across the face and Ranma couldn't let her get away with making him feel so stupid and rejected.

Angrily pulling his hand from hers, he said, "Damnit, you're uncute..."

A pillow smacked him in the face.

"What the hell?" Ranma angrily retorted.

"You really are a jerk! Offering to take me and then insulting me?! What sort of moron are you?!"

"Obviously a big one for even thinking about asking out someone as chestless as you!"

"You call _that_ asking someone out?!"

Ranma grabbed the pillow when she went in for another hit. With his free hand he snatched the pillow from under her hand and lightly bopped her on the side of the head.

"Did you...just hit me?"

"Not my fault you're slow." He stuck out his tongue.

Her eyes flashed dangerously as she yanked the pillow free from his clutches and smacked him upside the head. He in turn hopped around her and got a hit on her back. Absolute chaos followed. The rest of the maneuvers all blurred together as pillows struck against each other and body parts, feathers flying and hands grabbing and pushing on top of the blankets. In his pursuit for winning the sudden match, Ranma had pinned Akane beneath him and was tickling her and blowing on her neck as she tried her hardest to free herself. At last the magic words for mercy escaped her lips between their laughter and all at once Ranma became aware of his position on top of her.

She had never looked so cute. And the notion that this girl beneath him was his fiancée gave him a strange sense of elation and desire. He wanted to keep fighting her. Keep insulting her until she was red. Make her so angry that all she wanted to do was chase him. Stay here with him all night. Lean closer against her lips and...

Instead of indulging himself in his sudden impulsive desires, Ranma quickly rolled off Akane and onto his back with a sigh. He didn't know why exactly but in that moment, as Akane flicked him in the face, Ranma was sure that this was the person he loved.

"Truce?" Akane asked softly, holding out her pinky.

"For now," he replied, linking his pinky to hers. "But I'm still going to the festival with ya. Even if that guy decides to tag along."

"Who's the one tagging along?" It was spoken without malice though and Ranma found himself smiling despite it all.

What they had wasn't a perfect relationship by any means of the word. But hell, they were trying. And if after all the fighting and hurt and misunderstandings they could have moments like this, lying side by side and holding hands in the dark with smiles, it was worth it.

.

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_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

Another theme complete before the projected two years!

I recently re-watched the Ranma 1/2 live drama so I'm all RanmaxAkane mode again. And yeah, the drama had some weird moments (cannot unsee those guys in their freaking leather short-shorts...gahhhh), but there was some really nice sweet moments too that made me re-love them and their dysfunction all over again =3

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	5. 46 Mistake

**DISCLAIMER: **I got nothin'

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_CHAPTER FIVE/ THEME 46_  
**_SOFT AND HARD  
_**

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After countless insults and unkind words between them, Ranma had finally managed to convince the stubborn girl to let him give her a piggyback ride home that night. Akane was still sort of ticked off at him about her breasts being small…or his being bigger….or him seeing her in the changing room…or not wanting to see her…or something about having a boring body…or…umm…Actually, he still had no damn clue what part she was mad about. But a day after his mom had left following a seppuku attempt and the girl was still acting somewhat distance with him, so getting her to be this close to him was an accomplishment in itself.

The volleyball team she had faced tonight was harsh, from what he heard, and as the only member standing in the semi-finals Akane had taken on multiple hits and falls. It's not like Ranma was worried, he was just annoyed with how slowly she was limping along while their supper was quickly getting cold and eaten by Pop back home.

After a pause following their arguing, he felt Akane lightly pull on his shirt and in a much lighter manner say, "Hey, my coach told me that I set a new record for our school. The most points for one person standing. No one has ever seen anything like it."

Geez, she was happy. And as much as he knew that he liked seeing her smile so much over something so trivial, there was something about the timid tone and her warm cheek brushing lightly against his that must have blown a fuse in him. Because blushing, with no control of his tongue he said, "Did you also get the record for most falls and bruises? Or was that in a separate category?"

The inevitable slap to the face or the mallet to the head he felt coming on didn't follow. Instead, Akane slumped against him. Ranma blushed worse in bewilderment.

"The only thing you can do is insult me…isn't it? I guess there really is nothing about me that you li-…" she said, before the rest of her sentence was muttered into his shoulder.

Caught off guard by the demure action, Ranma had no reply. For her, anyways. He had plenty of stuff he could mull over in his head to encourage him in thinking that he was the victim here…

Geez, here he was trying to do a nice thing for her and what thanks does he get?! Being called out for teasing her a bit?!

It was her fault anyways. Her and her warm cheeks. He wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for the fact that Akane couldn't damned well take care of herself. If she could then he wouldn't even bother watching out for her since she never appreciated a damn thing he did for her. How the hell does someone injure themselves so badly from a stupid volleyball game anyways? Only Akane could pull something this stupid off. If he hadn't been conveniently-**NOT purposefully**-walking by the school after the game, she would have still been limping around until tomorrow morning. The stupid tomboy would never admit it, but she _needed_ him….That's right!

Akane. Tendo. Needed. Him.

And not just in little things like this, either. Akane could have all the delusions and pride she wanted, but in the end there was no way in hell she could win something like in a fight against Ryoga or Shampoo. They were trained, like him, not just absently practicing in the dojo whenever school was out or playing some worthless sports. Even as he held her, Ranma could tell she wasn't like him and the others. From the years of fighting, Shampoo's body felt a hell of a lot different. But when he was holding Akane against him like this, she felt….she felt….

Actually…

It wasn't bad.

You know…It was kinda nice…..

Wait! That's it!

"Hey, Akane."

"Now what?"

"I have a compliment. Just…Don't take this the wrong way…."

"….If you have to start a thought like that, it's best not to say anything," she warned, darkly.

"It's a good one."

"It better not be stupid…"

"You're soft."

Silence.

"Soft? What do you mean by-RANMA!" When Ranma started sliding his hands up and squeezing her thighs, Akane forcefully yanked his braid back. "W-What the hell do you think you're doing, pervert?!"

"H-Hey! Hey! I was trying to give you a compliment! !"

"You were groping me!" she insisted, pounding on his head repeatedly.

"Would you just hear me out?! See, when I feel Shampoo-"

She shrieked, holding her hands over her ears and blushing in anger and embarrassment. "Why are you such a pervert?!"

Ranma turned bright red. "N-N-No! ! No! ! ! I-I didn't mean it like that! ! ! I meant when she hugs me I can feel her body and its all toned from bein' in training all her life, you know? But your body is the complete opposite!"

"So you feel me up then you call me flabby…" Akane's teeth clenched together. "Just what kind of twisted idiot are you?!" she demanded, pulling his cheeks.

"I-!…I didn't mean it like that….! ! ! I mean-don't get me wrong. I got more of a figure as a girl than you ever will- -"

"Ranma! ! !"

"But…I like-It's nice….That you feel soft like this….I-I mean…..I….W-when I'm holding you it feels….That is, you feel….A-And I like it when you hug me because I-I can…T-that is….I…." Cheeks already an intense red, Ranma feigned annoyance to end his useless suffering. "Heh. Forget it. A sexless chick like you wouldn't get this anyway…"

Wordless and annoyed with each other, the two teens passed through the barely lit streets in the eerie silence that followed. Akane's arms were no longer holding Ranma's neck. Her hands, braced on his shoulders, gave her distance from his body even as she betrayed herself by blushing and leaning in his direction. Clouded blue eyes set straight ahead, Ranma paid no attention to what she was doing, wishing he had said nothing.

Stupid uncute fiancée….

Just for that, he refused to like how nice her body was! ! ! It's not like she'd ever give him the chance to hold her or nothin'…Unless it was because he was saving her ungrateful butt…So why the hell did he have to go and say that anyways?

Talking like it really mattered to her what he felt about her….

Saying that crap like there was ever a chance of Akane actually wanting him to hold her or touch her other than to get her out of a situation…

Why the hell did he keep bothering himself over such a sexless chick? It was probably beyond her thick-headed tomboy comprehension that a guy actually thought about holding her anyways. Not that he did. Not that much. Maybe sometimes.

Damnit…

He felt like an idiot.

"Put me down, Ranma."

"Forget it," he quickly snapped back. "I know you don't want me touching ya, but I got no choice when you're limping along."

"Put me down," she repeated.

"Am I really that repulsive?!"

"I just want to-"

"Fine! I'll go!"

Before she could reply Ranma abruptly released her thighs, more than ready to walk on without her, only to have his heart stop as Akane cried out in pain. The cry was like a searing punch to the gut and jolted him straight out of his anger as fear washed over him. Without missing a beat, Ranma quickly made a grab for her waist, pulling her to his chest before she could fall.

Damnit, he shouldn't have put her down so quickly if it hurt to just drop on her feet. He immediately felt like a jerk, letting her go just because they said the same stupid crap they were always going on about. To correct the situation, Ranma muttered an apology and crouched to offer his back again.

He expected her to flat out reject him this time for sure and was prepared to fight for her again, only to be surprised when Akane dropped to her knees in front of him instead.

Slender arms gently encircling his neck. A warm cheek against his violently red face. A soft body pressing it's curves up to every inch of him. Unsure what to do or what was happening, Ranma stood stiff in the hug, offering an intelligent "E-Eh?" to his fiancée.

"Thank you, Ranma." Akane pulled back and gazed down at her lap with a blush making him blush worse. "Even if the compliment came out in a weird way, it made me happy."

Although he was too embarrassed to look at her directly now, Ranma could see Akane was smiling again and felt his own mood rebound. She really was cute when she put some effort into it. Especially when his suddenly shaking hand moved to take hers to help her reclaim her spot on his back and she didn't resist. She even did this really cute thing where her head was tucked into his neck and her hands were gripping his shirt like she wanted to be held by him.

Too caught up in the heat of her body and what it was doing to his own, Ranma almost missed Akane whispering against his ear, "I have a compliment for you too."

"O-Oh?"

"You're hard."

On watching him burst into a puff of steam from his cheeks, Akane frowned and blinked at him. "That came out wrong too, didn't it?"

.

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_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

Don't take Ranma's illogical inner ramble too seriously. Fact and fiction kind of blur =3

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End file.
